Authors
Former Union Minister and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shared an image of a matrimonial newspaper clipping which claims that a Roman Catholic woman who has been vaccinated with both doses of Covishield seeks a groom who is also fully vaccinated with Covishield.
Tharoor tweeted the matrimonial newspaper clipping’s image with the caption, “Vaccinated bride seeks vaccinated groom! No doubt the preferred marriage gift will be a booster shot!? Is this going to be our New Normal?”
Media organisations including NDTV, Deccan Herald, DNA, and Scoopwhoop published Tharoor’s tweet. NDTV later updated it’s article to include a fact check on the claim.
This claim is shared after the second COVID-19 wave wreaked havoc in India. The country has lost more than 3.5 lakh individuals to the virus and the number of active cases stands at 11.6 lakh, as per data on the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on 10 June 2021.
As of 8 June 2021, 13.8% of the Indian population received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Our World In Data.
Also Read: Video Of Man Holding A Circuit Board With COV-19 Inscribed Is Not For A 5G Mast
Fact Check / Verification
In order to verify the claim in the matrimonial newspaper clipping’s image, we looked up the phone number mentioned in the advertisement.
With the help of Truecaller, we found that this number belongs to a person named Savio Figueiredo. Searching this name on Google, we found Figueiredo’s Facebook profile.
On 8 June, he shared a post saying he created the fake matrimonial advertisement as a way to encourage people to take the COVID-19 vaccination.
“So I tried a humourous way and created a fake newspaper advert which I posted in FB & Whatsapp , the key being the applicant has to receive both doses of Covishield vaccine,” reads his post in part.
“The side effect of the my attempt at humour is that I am inundated with phone calls & Whatsapp messages . To make matters more interesting a “Believer” forwarded this to his group and I am getting calls from as far as Calcutta, Orissa & Mangalore . Whoa!” he added.
Figueiredo created this fake matrimonial advertisement using an online software. We’ve previously debunked claims that were created using online softwares. You can read them here and here.
This claim has been debunked in our Hindi fact-check as well.
Also Read: Old Photograph Of PM Modi Bowing To Chief Functionary Of An NGO Morphed To Show Nita Ambani
Conclusion
Our research makes it clear that the image of a matrimonial newspaper clipping shared by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and a few media organisations is fake. A citizen created this ad to encourage people to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
Result: Manipulated Media
Our Sources
Facebook user, Savio Figueiredo: https://www.facebook.com/saviofig/posts/10159269829837954
If you would like us to fact check a claim, give feedback or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill the form.
